Some Clarification On Charter Review

OPINION - Letters to the Editor

June 15, 1994

''IF IT ain't broke, don't fix it.'' It seems as if that trite phrase is the echoing battle cry of those staunch resistors of progressive changes. Had that theme prevailed in the auto industry, our roads today would be clogged with Model T's - a good, dependable machine. Very little in our world is so perfect that it can't be improved. We ''old-timers'' used to refer to those who fought change as ''sticks-in-the-mud.''

Mac Elder is not an orator, nor even an effective public speaker. Unfortunately, that does not discourage him from making public statements, as was the sad case at a recent Lake County Commission meeting. It's quite likely his remarks and a misquote attributed to him did more harm than good.

With tongue in cheek, I did say I liked to stir things up with elected officials to keep them from becoming complacent. But that type of activity is something I'm known for, and I see nothing wrong in regularly reminding them of whom they are supposed to represent.

But that is not the reason I voted with the majority of a citizens' charter review committee to recommend that we give the voters the opportunity to consider changing to a charter form of government. And I did not say I liked to intimidate elected officials as a Lake Sentinel story suggested. That seems merely to reflect The Lake Sentinel's determination to slant the news. That slant is also reflected in the use of ''indoctrinate,'' rather than ''teach,'' ''train,'' or ''instruct,'' when it refers to our School Board's intent to teach the truth about how great our nation is.

I have the greatest respect for our county's constitutional officers. I'd love to be able to present my thoughts as comprehensively as does Clerk of the Courts James Watkins, for instance. But isn't it noteworthy that the greater part of the five opposing votes on our committee came from those same gentlemen?

Watkins said that should deserve some great consideration, and I quite agree.

The Lake Sentinel story also referred to this dedicated charter review committee as ''Elder's Committee.'' It was Lake County's committee, and I had but one small voice in it. It's likely I was the least persuasive one in the final decision.

It is to be noted that County Commissioner Don Bailey interrupted me to say he chose one person for the charter and one against it to be on the committee. He hastened to add that, though he knew that the other appointee was against going to a charter government, he didn't know how I felt about it. How could he, when I didn't know, myself?